Weakness
by Marish89
Summary: Will he punish her, or will he show her a different kind of mercy? Set after Bellatrix Lestrange and Lord Voldemort escape from the Department of Mysteries. BellatrixVoldemort Romance. Rated M for final chapter. Please reveiw!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

_Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. He saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her. _

_'Come on, you can do better than that!' he yelled, his voice echoing in the cavernous room. _

_The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. _

_The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock. _

_Harry released Neville, though he was quite unaware of doing so. He was jumping down the steps again, pulling out his wand, as Dumbledore, too, turned towards the dias. _

_It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curves in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. _

_Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his god-father's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place. _

_He heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing. _

_------------ _

_There was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dias. Harry saw Kingsley hit the ground yelling in pain: Bellatrix Lestrange turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it; she was halfway up the steps by now – _

_'Harry – no!' cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arm from Lupin's slackened grip. _

_'SHE KILLED SIRIUS!' bellowed Harry. 'SHE KILLED HIM – I'LL KILL HER!' _

_And he was off, scrambling up the stone benches, people was shouting behind him but he did not care. The hem of Bellatrix's robes whipped out of sight ahead and they were back in the roo, wher the brains were swimming ... _

_She aimed a curse over her shoulder. The tank rose into the air and tipped. Harry was deluged in the foul-smelling potion within: the brains slipped and slid over him and began spinning their long coloured tentacles, but he shouted, 'Wingardium Leviosa!' and they flew off him up into the air. Slipping and sliding, he ran on toward the door; he leapt over Luna, who was groaning on the floor, past Ginny, who said, 'Harry – what –?', past Ron, who giggled feebly, and Hermione, who was still unconscious. He wrenched open the door into the circular black hall and saw Bellatrix disappearing through a door onto the other side of the room; beyond her was the corridor leading back to the lifts. _

_------------ _

_He forced his way out of the lift before the grilles were fully open and looked around. Bellatrix was almost at the telephone lift at the other end of the hall, but she looked back as he sprinted towards her and aimed another spell at him. He dodged behind the Fountain of Magical Brethren: the spell zoomed past him and hit the wrought-gold gates at the other end of the Atrium so that they rang like bells. There were no more footsteps. She had stopped running. He crouched behind the statues, listening. _

_'Come out, come out, little Harry!' she called in her mock baby voice, which echoed off the polished wooden floors. 'What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!' _

_'I am!' shouted Harry, and a score of ghostly Harrys seemed to chorus I am! I am! I am! around the room. _

_'Aaaaaah ... did you love him, little baby Potter?' _

_Hatred rose in Harry such as he had never known before; he flung himself out from behind the fountain and bellowed, 'Crucio!' _

_Bellatrix screamed; the spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Neville had – she was already back on her feet, breathless, no longer laughing. Harry dodged behind the golden fountain again. Her counter-spell hit the head of the handsome wizard, which was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor. _

_'Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?' she yelled. She had abandoned her baby voice now. 'You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain – to enjoy it – the righteous anger won't hurt me for long – I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson –' _

_Harry was edging around the fountain on the other side when she screamed, 'Crucio!' and he was forced to duck down again as the centaur's arm, holding its bow, span off and landed with a crash on the floor a short distance from the golden wizard's head. _

_'Potter you cannot win against me!' she cried. _

_------------ _

_'I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little boy, can never hope to compete –' _

_'Stupify!' yelled Harry. He had edged right around to where the goblin stood beaming up at the now headless wizard and taken aim at her back as she peered around the fountain. She reacted so fast he barely had time to duck. _

_'Protego!' _

_The jet of red light, his own stunning spell, bounced back at him. Harry scrambled back behind the fountain and one of the goblin's ears went flying across the room. _

_'Potter, I'm going to give you once chance!' shouted Bellatrix. 'Give me the prophecy – roll it out towards me now – and I may spare your life!' _

_'Well, you're going to have to kill me, because it's gone!' Harry roared and, as he shouted it, pain seared across his forehead; his scare was on fire again, and he felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected with his own rage. 'And he knows!' said Harry, with a mad laugh to match Bellatrix's own. 'Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it's gone! He's not happy with you, is he?" _

_'What? What do you mean?' she cried, and for the first time there was fear in her voice. _

_'The prophecy smashed when I was trying to get Neville up the steps! What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?' _

_His scar seared and burned ... the pain of it was making his eyes stream ... _

_'LIAR!' she shrieked, but he could hear the terror behind the anger now. 'YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PHROPHECY!' _

_Harry laughed again because he knew it would incense her, the pain building in his head so badly he thought his skull might burst. He waved an empty hand from behind the one-eared goblin and withdrew it quickly as she sent another jet of green light flying at him. _

_'Nothing there!' he shouted. 'Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that!' _

_'No!' she screamed. 'It isn't true, you're lying! MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED – DO NOT PUNISH ME –' _

_'Don't waste your breath!' yelled Harry, his eyes screwed up against the pain of his scar, now more terrible than ever. 'He can't hear you from here!' _

_ 'Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice. _

_Harry opened his eyes. _

_Tall, thin and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupilled eyes staring ... Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry who stood frozen, quite unable to move. _

_'So, you smashed my prophecy?' said Voldemort softly, staring at Harry with those pitiless red eyes, 'No, Bella, he is not lying ... I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind ... months of preparation, months of effort ... and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again ...' _

_'Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!' sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort's feet as he paced slowly nearer. 'Master, you should know –' _

_'Be quiet, Bella,' said Voldemort dangerously. 'I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think that I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your snivelling apologies?' _

_'But Master – he is here – he is below –' _

_Voldemort paid no attention _

_------------ _

_The other statues sprang to life. The statue of the witch ran at Bellatrix, who screamed and sent spells streaming uselessly off its chest, before it dived at her, pining her to the floor. _

_------------ _

_For a few seconds Voldemort was visible only as a dark, rippling, faceless figure, shimmering and indistinct upon the plinth clearly struggling to throw off the suffocating mass – _

_Then he was gone and the water fell with a crash back into the pool, slopping wildly over the sides, drenching the polished floor. _

_'MASTER!' screamed Bellatrix. _

_Sure it was over, sure Voldemort had decided to flee, Harry made to run out from behind his statue guard, but Dumbledore bellowed: 'Stay where you are, Harry!' _

_For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. Harry could not see why: the hall was quite empty but for themselves, the sobbing Bellatrix still trapped under the witch statue, and the baby phoenix Fawkes croaking feebly on the floor – _

_------------ _

_'He was there!' shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall, where Bellatrix had lain trapped only moments before. 'I saw him, Mr Fudge, I swear it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and Disapparated!' _

_------------ _

_ (Pages 710-720 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix by J.K. Rowling.) _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

When they arrived back at the old Riddle House, Voldemort released Bellatrix from his strong grasp.

'Get out!' he said quietly, though the rage in his voice was barely controlled.

'Master, I am –'

'GET OUT!' he screamed at her. Bellatrix nodded, and bowed deeply before rushing from the room. Just as she was about to exit, Voldemort called, 'Bring Rookwood to me.'

As soon as Bellatrix had alerted Rookwood that he was required in the Dark Lord's presence, Bellatrix strode to her room, thinking deeply about the defeat at the Ministry. All of her Masters' Inner Circle had been captured, mar herself and a few others.

As she thought about her leader, she wondered what was being discussed in the room. She had always been closest to the Dark Lord, she had been taught by him, hardly punished and she had a place beside him. She knew most everything that went on with the Dark Lord's planning, and for the first time she was being excluded and she did not like the feeling.

The thought of being unable to be at _his_ side was unbearable; the thought that she might lose her favoured place unimaginable, and the possibility that she would be punished, unprecedented. However, that did not stop her from going over every possible detail of what happened at the Ministry to find why they had failed. It was easy to say that they had failed because Dumbledore arrived, but that alone could not be the sole reason.

The Dark Lord was more than capable to defeating Dumbledore, yet he had been unable to. Determined to find the missing link, Bellatrix conjured a desk, parchment and quill, and she began to write.

_Potter and friends had unexpected plan. Were able to defend and battle in group without crisis. Though separated able to defend each, and matched in skill with minor minions. Order arrived unexpected and caused problems. Dumbledore used old magic to protect, which the Dark Lord finds useless. Potter able to perform Unforgivable, and give chase when inspired. (NB. Weakness rather than strength.) Master unable to defeat Dumbledore nor Potter due to combined power. _

Though she had now a rough idea of what happened, Bellatrix wondered about the final point. She knew that her Master was able to defeat both the old fool and the young boy, but she found herself questioning why he had not been able to do so tonight. Before her mind could take hold of the thought, Bellatrix tore it from her mind and stomped it. It would not do to think that way.

Before she had much more time to consider anything else, the Mark on her arm burnt and she hurried from her Chambers. The Dark Lord looked at his followers, only his closest and most loyal followers were summoned and there was a remarkable decrease in numbers. Instead of the usual twenty or thirty, only five remained. Bellatrix, Augustus, Rabastan, Rodolphus, and Severus. And out of the five, only Bella had escaped from the Ministry, only she had avoided capture.

'The boy has once again foiled me. He is not cleverer but my Death Eaters,' he paused as he glared at them. 'My _loyal_ Death Eaters have managed to be defeated by a group of Mudblood's and Blood Traitors.'

'My Lord,' Bellatrix began, 'My Lord, you were –'

'Quiet,' Lord Voldemort spoke loudly, his rage was evident. 'You did not escape Bellatrix,' the use of her full name was like a dagger through her heart. Unmistakably, he felt that she no longer deserved to be called Bella by him. 'It would have been foolish to leave you behind. Do not think that you are better, for you are just as stupid and dumb-witted as the rest of my followers.'

Bellatrix's expression soured, and tears filled her eyes. She didn't look away, but tried valiantly to maintain control on her emotions. She would not let the tears fall, yet as one escaped and rolled down her cheek, she made no effort to stop or wipe it away.

The Dark Lord looked away, but Bellatrix let the tear remain. As he spoke, there was an unusual tremble in his voice, 'For me to succeed in defeating the boy, we must find another plan. Now, Rookwood what information have you gained?'

'The Minister is retiring and the Head of the Auror Department is said to take over. I'm afraid he won't be able to be manipulated as well. He's also not a big supporter of either Potter or you.'

Before he could continue, Severus interrupted, 'Rufus Scrimgeour would never support our cause. He might not openly support Potter, but he does support what he stands for. And no one could manipulate him by spells or curses.'

Bellatrix nodded once before speaking for the first time since her scolding, 'Pius Thicknesse could be put under the Imperius Curse. He has access to all Ministry departments.'

Lord Voldemort nodded at her, but didn't say anything to make her believe that she had been welcomed back into his good graces.

'How do you suggest we Imperius him, Bellatrix? We march into the Ministry and corner him,' he asked sarcastically.

'That's enough, Snape. I will think of something. You are dismissed.'

As all the Death Eaters moved to leave, Voldemort called, 'Bellatrix, stay.'

'Yes, my Lord?' Bella asked, as she walked back into the room.

'You failed at the Ministry tonight, Bellatrix. You let a pack of little children defeat you. You must be punished for your failure.'

'No, my Lord, please! I will do better! Please my Lord,' Bella begged.

'_Crucio_,' Voldemort said, and Bellatrix screamed as she crumpled to the floor. As he released her from the torture, she panted, 'Please, my Lord. I'm sorry, my Lord. I shall do better in the future. Please!'

'Do not beg,' he stated. 'It is a sign of weakness.'

'My Lord, please remember. I served twelve years in Azkaban for you. Please, my Lord, have mercy.'

'I am well aware of what you did. But that does not change the fact that you failed tonight.'

'What happened to you, Tom?' Bella whispered under her breath, as the Dark Lord glared harshly at her.

Although, Voldemort heard her, he didn't answer. Instead, he promptly dismissed her from the room. He turned and walked to the window as she left the room. He stared into the night sky, pondering the words of his most loyal and best servant.

What had happened to him? Had he changed that much? He knew that he was obsessed with immortality, and that he had gone further than ever with regard to the Dark Arts, is that what Bella had meant? Or was she referring to the relationship they used to share? She had proven this evening that she could not be trusted to escape capture, yet she had also proven that she would never give up for his cause. Still lost in thought, he ignored the siren signalling that dinner was served.

Bellatrix, meanwhile, had rushed to her room. She looked over the old picture that she kept hidden in her robes. It was an image of the young Tom Riddle, back when they had been together. He had desired her when she had just finished Hogwarts, he had wanted her and he had her. Though he would never love her, it did not stop her from loving him.

When she had married Rodolphus, it hadn't been for love, it had been for propriety and arrangement. Her heart belonged to Tom, though he would never accept nor understand it. Therefore, Bellatrix kept her feelings from him, it was the only secret she had from her Master, and it was the one she most protected when he tore into her mind.

She remained still though a tears streamed down her face. Before she knew what was happening, she was sobbing hysterically, hugging her knees to her chest. Although she knew it was stupid, and quite pathetic, she couldn't help wonder why he couldn't love her. Why he couldn't love her the way she loved him, or in any other way.

Lord Voldemort walked down the hallway to the dining room, when he heard a strange noise coming from the room of Bellatrix Lestrange. Although, he had never given her any hint of knowing, he knew that she loved him. Silently, he cast a spell on himself so he could hear what was going on inside the room.

She was crying – weeping her heart and soul. For an unknown reason, the thought tugged at where his soul should have been. For some reason, it hurt him to hear her in so much distress. Softly, he entered the room, and saw his most loyal and wonderful Death Eater with tears streaming down her face, and shaking with suppressed emotions and sobs.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Very uncharacteristically, he walked over to her and enfolded her into a hug. She jumped from surprise, but made no effort to move or return the hug. She sat still, almost frozen, the tears still running down her face. After a few moments of strange silence, he released her but remained seated beside her.

"What happened to you, Tom?" she asked again, though it was clear from her shock that she hadn't expected an answer.

"Nothing, you just didn't see who I was."

Bellatrix remained silent for a few moments before replying, "I saw everything you wanted me to see. You wouldn't let me know how far you wanted to go with immortality or the Dark Arts. You taught me what you wanted me to know," she took a breath, then whispered as quietly as she could, "You used to trust me."

"I still do," he said just as quietly.

Knowing she was entering dangerous waters, Bellatrix spoke with a tremble, "Then why do you meet people without me. You used to have me by your side with everything, now you don't trust me with anything."

"I do," he said, though there was slight anger in his voice, "I will always trust you, Bella. I might be angry with you, I might punish you, but never think that I do not trust you."

Bellatrix nodded, and a few tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes. Hastily, she wiped them away, and was overjoyed that he had re-instated the use of her name. She didn't think that he would ever understand what it did to her when he called her 'Bella'.

"Come," he said, as he held her hand, "We shall dine in my quarters this evening."

As they ate their meal, there was comfortable conversation, which most would have believed the Dark Lord and his most loyal Death Eater were incapable of. They spoke of the past and the future, the most common ideals, and the plans that were in the making. For the two blood racists, it was a wonderful meal.

When they finished the meal, Bellatrix did something that surprised both herself and the Dark Lord. She kissed him. Instantly, she regretted the action and dropped to her knees and began to beg, "I'm sorry, my Lord. Please, my Lord. I beg for forgiveness, Master. Please have mercy, my Lord."

"Bella, there is no reason to beg for forgiveness," he said, as he helped her stand. She looked at him confused, but he could sense that she was still on the verge of begging for forgiveness once more.

More because he wanted to, then to reassure her, Voldemort leaned forward and kissed her fiercely. When she did not respond, he bit on her lip, and she spurred into action, returning the kiss passionately. Their tongues duelled for dominance, as their teeth drew blood and bruised each others' lips.

When Voldemort tugged on her robe, she made no move to stop him. Although, she knew that this was purely for desire rather than love, she was willing to make this memory with him, as it would be the only one she could have. They tore violently at each other's clothing, and as their bodies touched, Bellatrix moaned gently. The sensation was almost more than she could take.

She had always expected that he would be a violent lover, maybe even selfish, but she would never have expected that he would be gentle and giving. As he lowered her onto the bed, his body hovered over hers. He lavished kisses on her neck and chest, rolling his tongue gently over her erect nipple. As she moaned loudly, he bit down and she groaned. He licked his way down her torso, swirling his tongue in her navel, and as her moans began to come at a feverish rate, she twisted their bodies, so she was straddling him.

She gently traced her fingers of his features, taking in the way his red eyes seemed to burn with desire and lust. As she leant forward, her breast brushed his pale chest, and he moaned lustfully. She began to place kisses on his chest and stomach, moving her arms and caressing every part of his torso and face.

As she reached his erect manhood, she circled her tongue around the tip. He groaned at the sensation, and bucked into her mouth. She took him into her mouth, and although he had experienced this many times before, this time it was far better than any other occasion. This time it was someone who loved him with her whole heart, someone who would do anything for him, and someone who had sacrificed everything for him.

As she bobbed up and down, Voldemort bucked into her mouth. Without warning, he ordered her to stop, and rolled their bodies over once more. His fingers brushed over her wet nether regions, and she bucked into his hand. As he fingered her sensitive bud, she moaned his name lustfully and curved her back. He slipped a finger into her, and she bucked and groaned. When he began to pick up the pace, she arched upward into him. She whimpered as he nudged her bundle of nerves, and came apart, screaming his name.

As she came down from her high, he pushed himself inside her and groaned at the feeling of being encased by her. He withdrew and re-entered her slowly, basking in the sound of her groans. As they repeated the thrusts slowly, both began to moan and Bellatrix found herself raising her hips to meet him thrust for thrust. The speed began to build, as did the intensity, and the Dark Lord raised Bellatrix's legs over his shoulders, and buried himself to the hilt.

Their hips bucked violently against each other, and once more Bellatrix screamed her Master's name, as she convulsed around him. He bit harshly into her shoulder and he spilled inside her. He collapsed on her, and she wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you," she whispered.

He nodded, "I know."


End file.
